Explore an aquarium, planetarium, and natural history museum—all under one living roof.

Privacy Policy

This is the official privacy policy ("Privacy Policy") of the California Academy of Sciences ("Academy", "we", "us" or "our") and describes how we handle Personal Information (as defined below) you provide to us or that we collect from you through the use of our Website, which is located at www.calacademy.org, and any additional, replacement, substitute or backup websites and web pages that are associated with our website, including the Academy Store, www.iNaturalist.org, and www.biographic.com, (collectively, the "Website").

Personal Information

You can browse our Website without being required to divulge any Personal Information to us. Although we collect and maintain aggregate anonymous information about usage and visitors browsing our Website, no Personal Information is collected as part of this process.

When we use the term "Personal Information" in this Privacy Policy, we mean information such as your first/middle initial or name, last name, e-mail address, street address, mailing address if different, town or city, state, zip code, telephone number, date of birth, credit card information, and any other information that would allow someone to identify you or contact you. We may collect Personal Information about you when you purchase an Academy membership, purchase Academy tickets online, make a donation to the Academy online, register for an Academy event, participate in an Academy contest or sweepstakes, and for similar purposes. Personal Information also includes information collected and maintained through the use of our Website about your personal preferences, survey responses and your relationship with us (for example, if you are a subscriber to Academy eNews).

The Academy may use the Personal Information that you provide in order to send you Academy eNews, provide you with information regarding the Academy and Academy services and opportunities by means of, but not limited to web, email, mail, text message, to process Academy memberships, or to administer and maintain our Website and, if applicable, your subscription to Academy eNews. When you provide us with this Personal Information, you are consenting to receive each issue of our Academy eNews and any related emails. You may subscribe or unsubscribe to Academy communications at any time by following the links provided or by visiting our Website at www.calacademy.org/enews/subscribe.html and submitting your registered email address in the space provided under the "Unsubscribe" heading. Any credit card information you provide in connection with a transaction will be used only as needed to process that transaction.

If you are a Subscriber, you must give us current, complete and accurate information and keep the information you provide to us up to date. We cannot and shall not be responsible for any problems or liability that may arise if you do not give us current, accurate, truthful or complete information or you fail to update the information you give us.

The Academy does not share, sell, rent or lease any Personal Information that you provide with any unaffiliated third parties unless you authorize us to do so by opting-in. The term "unaffiliated third parties" or "third parties" does not include any subsidiaries or affiliates of the Academy. The exception to this policy is that we may share your personal information with other Bay Area cultural organizations through mailing list exchanges, for which you will have the ability to opt out.

Children

We do not knowingly collect or solicit personal information from children or knowingly allow children to purchase goods or memberships through our website. Visitors 12 years of age and younger must obtain a parent or guardian’s permission before submitting any personal information to this or any other website. In the event that we learn that we have received any personal information from a visitor 12 years of age or younger, we will delete that information as quickly as possible. If you believe that we might have information from or about a child 12 years of age or younger, please contact us at webservices@calacademy.org.

Unaffiliated Third Parties

Unless authorized by you through your opt-in, or as provided above, we will make your Personal Information available to non-affiliated third parties only in the following circumstances:

If we are compelled to do so by a governmental agency, court or other entity (e.g., to respond to subpoenas, court orders or legal process);

If we believe your actions violate a law, regulation, this Privacy Policy or any applicable Website terms of use, or if you threaten the rights, property or safety of us, our Website, any other users or third party;

If, in our sole discretion, we believe disclosure is necessary to investigate or resolve possible problems or inquiries, to protect our assets, to defend our interests or comply with our legal and regulatory obligations; or

If there is a bankruptcy, merger, acquisition, transfer of control, joint venture or other business combination involving the Academy.

Use of Outside Vendors

We may from time to time retain qualified third-party vendors to help us manage the Website and allow us to better serve Academy visitors. These may include third-party vendors we engage to analyze the information we collect on the Academy Website, for marketing or similar purposes. We require all vendors to maintain the security of all information to which they are provided access, and restricts the vendors from using the information in any way not authorized by the Academy.

Cookies

We may contract with third parties who use Cookies to collect information for us. Cookies are small, removable data files that are stored on your computer's hard drive by your Web browser. When you visit our site, we may send one or more cookies to uniquely identify your browser, which allows us to enhance and personalize your online experience on the Website. Cookies, by themselves, do not provide us with any personally-identifying information. Most Web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can change the preferences of your browser so that it does not accept them. These parties are required to maintain the confidentiality of all such information.

Links and Third Parties

There may be opportunities through the Academy Website from time to time to opt-in to receive information from non-Academy entities. If you opt-in, you may receive correspondence from these organizations on programs, products or services that might interest you. Your communication with these entities should be directly with such entities.

In addition, the Website may provide links to resources we believe may be useful. These links will lead you to websites operated by third parties that operate under different privacy policies. We encourage you to review those privacy policies, as the Academy Privacy Policy does not apply to such sites, and we have no control over information you may submit to those third parties or how they may use the information you provide to them. We may use third parties, such as ad server companies, to present advertisements you may see on our Website, which may also include advertisements placed by third parties. These third parties may employ cookie and web bug technologies to measure advertising effectiveness. We have no control over such third parties use of technologies or their policies and practices concerning their collection and use of your information. Our Privacy Policy does not cover information collected by third parties, nor how they may use such information.

How We Protect Your Information

We are committed to protecting the Personal Information you share with us through use of our Website and we maintain reasonable physical, electronic and procedural safeguards to protect your Personal Information. We limit access to the Website by our own employees to individuals who are authorized for the proper handling of such information and any employee found violating our standards of security and confidentiality is subject to our disciplinary processes. We request our service providers to follow the same policy. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee that data transmitted over the Internet will always be secure. As a result, although we strive to protect your Personal Information, we cannot ensure or warrant the security of any information you transmit or we may learn as a result of your use of our Website and you do so at your own risk. If, for any reason, you do not agree with this Privacy Policy, please do not use or attempt to take advantage of any of the information, services, features or functions of the Website that might require you to provide your Personal Information (e.g., subscribing to Academy eNews).

Your California Privacy Rights

Residents of the State of California, under the California Civil Code, have the right to request from companies conducting business in California, a list of all third parties to which the company has disclosed Personal Information during the preceding year for direct marketing purposes. Except with respect to the limited exceptions described above, we do not share your Personal Information with any third parties for direct marketing purposes.

If you are a California resident and request information about how to exercise your third party disclosure choices, you must send a request to the following address with a preference on how our response to your request should be sent (email or postal mail). Send an email to the Privacy Administrator at

All requests sent via postal mail must be labeled "Your California Privacy Rights" on the envelope or post card and clearly stated on the actual request. For all requests, please include your name, street address, city, state, and zip code. (Your street address is optional if you wish to receive a response to your request via email. Please include your zip code for our own recordkeeping.) We will not accept requests via the telephone or by facsimile. We are not responsible for notices that are not labeled or sent properly, notices that are illegible or do not have complete information.

Revisions to This Privacy Policy

We may revise this Privacy Policy at any time and from time to time without advance notice, by posting an updated and revised version of this Privacy Policy on the Academy Website. The revisions are effective immediately upon posting and we encourage you to check this Privacy Policy often so you are aware of the most current terms and conditions that apply to you.

All Users

If any user of our Website or any Subscriber has any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact our Privacy Administrator at

The California Academy of Sciences is a renowned scientific and educational institution dedicated to exploring, explaining, and sustaining life on Earth. Based in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, it is home to a world-class aquarium, planetarium, and natural history museum—all under one living roof.